A Bartowski Thanksgiving
by East Coast Captain
Summary: A day to give thanks for all that you have. The Bartowski family sit down to celebrate for what they are most thankful for. Futurefic. ONESHOT


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Chuck but the OC characters.

**Author's Note:** Unfortunately my regular beta PJ Murphy couldn't be here so forgive the errors and of course Happy Thanksgiving, save the drumstick for last. Gobble gobble!

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><p><em>November 27, 2042 <em>

_ New York City  
><em>

_7:24 pm EST  
><em>

Holidays with the Bartowski clan and their friends were some of the best ever. Chuck and Sarah were awesome hosts but their Nobel prize of Medicine winner sister, Ellie, could give them a run for their money. Although they were a little disappointed that her daughter couldn't be here. Clara Woodcomb was busy working for Doctors Without Borders, bringing free medical care to isolated places around the world. This year the family was gathered at the Bartowski Brownstone, the ancestral home was currently occupied by Liam who had been found eleven months ago eight years after going missing.

Chuck stared at the turkey at the center among a wide array of delicious dishes, a beautiful work of art created by many loving hands some of the ingredients were grown by Liam in his little greenhouse. The main dish was obviously the Turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, steam buns courtesy of Liam, dishes cooked by Lara and his Aunts. They all worked to make something wonderful. He looked around the table all of his friends and loved ones who were gathered on this day to give thanks.

The clinking of glass snapped him out of his thoughts.

"It's that time of the year again! I was going to say something but I'd thought I'd let baby brother make the speech this year, it's only proper." Stephen grinned as he looked around the dining room at many of his closest friends and family. Everyone laughed, the boisterous offspring of Chuck and Sarah could always light up a room with his cheeky grin.

William Arthur ''Liam'' Bartowski wasn't one to make speeches, unlike his extroverted and charismatic brother he was quite the opposite once upon a time. Introverted, impatient, petulant, rude were some of things Liam was before his disappearance. He had very few friends growing up because of his straightforward demeanor. But that was a lifetime ago, that Liam was gone but he still had his eccentricities as he once put it 'normal is overrated.'' Unbeknownst to his family, the man was a secret agent fighting all manner of evil from the shadows.

''Come on little bro, speak your heart,!'' Stephen said amused.

''Don't tease your brother,'' Sarah playfully admonished.

''Yes Steve, leave Liam alone.'' Lara smiled at her brother-in-law.

''Okay.'' Liam climbed to his feet taking out note cards from his blazer. The Renaissance man deduced his older brother was going to ask him to do a speech and he wrote one down.

''Blessings all...no.'' He grumbled putting that card last. The secret agent could tangle with assassins and thieves but the holidays were something else entirely. Stuffing the whole stack back into his blazer, he thought for a second and knew what to say.

''I've never been good at this so umm...ladies and guys, friends and family, mom and dad, Stephen and Lara, Aunts and Uncles. Americans commonly trace the Thanksgiving holiday to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the Plymouth settlers held a harvest feast after a successful growing season thanks to Squanto who saved their hides from starving and freezing to death. Autumn or early winter feasts continued sporadically in later years, first as an impromptu religious observance, and later as a civil tradition. Getting to the good stuff, the first Thanksgiving I was missing I spent at an Ancient Temple in Eastern Asia meditating, learning how to make steam buns.'' Liam saw tears appearing in the eyes of his mother, Lara, his Aunts as he continued his speech.

_Among others things, I learned how to disappear, hide in plain sight_

''I was scared and confused. For years I didn't remember anything. When I began working for the Buy More I never had the time for the Holidays I always immersed in my work sometimes to my detriment I was always afraid to let people in my only real friend was my boss Qiu who acts more like a rambunctious fifteen year old than the head of a international company and he's a doctor on the caliber of Aunt Ellie and Uncle Awesome but he treats everyone well, he is there for you when you need him and can always lend an ear to a guy or gal had to fly to a conference in Switzerland. Then there's Autumn, a computer savant whose probably sipping a mojito in a tropical location. I made a family with them, last year was the first time I celebrated Thanksgiving, he made the Turkey so this year I'd like to be thankful for you guys, my parents, my brother, Lara, Maria, my Aunts and Uncles and to be back after so long where I belong.''

Everyone clapped loudly.

''Okay enough of that, I'm hungry!'' Liam exclaimed cheerfully.

Ellie got to work cutting the turkey while the music played again over the wireless music stereos the size of a marble sticking to the wall.

"You are awesome, little brother." Steven said with a grin that reminded Chuck of his darling Sarah, who happened to be staring back at him. She gave him a knowing wink before resuming her duties of the night's gathering.

''I do the best I can,'' Liam smiled._  
><em>

The man secretly known by many monikers looked around the table at his family, laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's company. Elsa teasing Marty like she's done since they were kids, Stephen and Lara laughing at one of his father's jokes. Something inside of him warmed up and it wasn't the heating system. He felt the same thing with Qiu, with Autumn, the family he had made in the last few years. And now the family that had found him again. He felt something inside of him flutter.

It was happiness and joy.


End file.
